A Change of Heart
by Dawn Firestorm
Summary: Nicole Ruben has grown up fearing and hating the Gargoyles, but when her life is saved by one of them, she gets a serious change of heart.
1. Late Night Surprise

Chapter 1   
"Yes, Daddy. I'll be right home, promise. No, I don't need you to come pick me up. Yes, I'll look out for Gargoyles. 'Kay. Bye, Daddy, love you." Nikki pressed the hook button on her mini blue Nokia cell phone and shoved it back into her skirt pocket. Looking at the clock, she saw how late it was; 10:47. She pulled her jacket over her pink-and-white diner uniform and zipped it up. "I'm going home, Joe."  
"See you tomorrow at eleven, and don't be late this time!" he called from the kitchen.  
"Alright," Nikki called back. She waved goodbye to a few familiars, pushed open the door of the diner, and stepped into the crisp summer night air of Manhattan. A warm beeze whipped her hair every which way as she walked along the almost deserted streets.  
Nicole Ruben was a fifteen-year-old red head with a temper to match her hair and clear gray-blue eyes which made her look like she was always daydreaming... which, most of the time, she was. It wasn't her fault; she had a very creative mind which tended to wander. This quality, combined with her natural beauty, had caught the eye of every guy she had ever met. A mixed blessing, as she would soon find out.  
CRASH.  
Nikki stopped, and started to back up. The noise had come from the ally ahead, and it was too loud to be a cat. That meant that it was either a street gang or Gargoyles. Heart racing, Nikki whipped around and started to run towards the diner, which was, by now, several blocks away. She had almost reached the corner when she ran into a tall someone and fell to the ground.  
"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," said Nikki, looking up. The man she had hit was wearing a ripped leather jacket over a white t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, and had a nose ring. He was carrying a baseball bat.  
"Whacha runnin from, chick?" he sneered, advancing on Nikki. She scrambled up and turned to run the other way, but found that escape route blocked by three other punks dressed in the same fashion as the guy she had run into. They were all carrying a heavy peice of wood.  
"What do you want? I don't have any money," said Nikki, trying to keep her voice steady.  
"Who said we wanted money? We're looking for some sugar for our cake," said an idiot with pink hair.  
"That's what a grociery store is for, dumbass," retorted Nikki.  
"Bittersweet, just what we wanted," said another gang member with a green mohawk.  
"Don't mess with me," Nikki warned. "My dad's a Quarryman."  
"Yeah, but you're here, not your daddy," laughed the guy Nikki had run into. The gang started to close in on Nikki, who was looking around for the biggest opening. She found it between the idiot with the pink hair and a guy with blue hair. Breathing heavily, praying this would work, she charged at the two. Taken aback, they didn't do anything, and Nikki was able to push past them easily.  
"Grab her!" yelled the punk with the nose ring; he was obviously the gang's leader. They ran after Nikki, who was glad she had decided to wear her tennies instead of her platforms. She dodged into an alley, jumped onto the ladder hanging down from the balcony above, and scrambled up it. The gang followed her, but soon fell behind because of the peices of wood they were carrying. By the time Nikki reached the roof, the gang was several floors below her. She stopped to catch her breath, leaning on the cement railing of the roof.  
Nikki's head jerked up. She had thought a shadow had passed over her, but that was silly. The sky was clear; no birds or Gargoyles were in sight. Her gaze lowered, and she saw hands holding a baseball bat grasping the top rungs of the ladder. She looked frantically around for a place to hide and spotted the brick structure for the roof door. Just as the gang leader's head appeared over the railing, Nikki dashed behind it. Shaking, she listened as the rest of the gang climbed over the railing.  
"Where'd she go?"  
"Maybe a Gargoyle carried her off."  
"You heard what she said; her dad's a Quarryman. She probably hates Gargoyles."  
"Then what happened? She can't just have disappeared."  
"Exactly. She's probably hiding somewhere, or went into the building."  
"Good thing this place is abandoned."  
"Yeah. Ok, you two go through the door, and we'll look around up here."  
Nikki's heart quickened as she listened to two gang members jog down the stairs behind her. Now what? The other two were searching everywhere on the roof; it was only a matter of time before they caught her. She looked around for a space between the pipes she could squeeze into and found one. It was just big enough for her to fit in, and dark enough to hide her. As quietly as possible, Nikki slid herself into it.  
"Found her yet?"  
"No. What about behind the roof door?"  
"That's the only place she could be."  
Her heart almost stopped as she heard their footsteps come closer. She recoiled as far as she could into the pipes as they came behind the brick structure and leaned against the wall where Nikki had been standing minutes before.  
"She's not here."  
"She must have gone inside."  
"Then let's go down and help them look for her."  
Nikki let out an inward sigh of relief as she listened to the footsteps fade away. She crawled out of her hiding space and turned the corner, only to be slammed into the wall roughly by the guy with the nose ring.  
"Think you're so smart," he sneered, shaking her. "Well, you're not smart en-- Nikki?"  
"Mike?" gasped Nikki. She could hardly believe it; Mike had been her old boyfriend back in the eighth grade, even though he was three years older than she was. He was a drop-out, and Nikki knew it, but she never knew he had been in a gang. "Are you trying to kill me?"  
"I didn't know it was you," Mike said, releasing his hold on Nikki's jacket.  
"Yeah, right," said Nikki. "Thanks for the scare. Now, I have to get home. Dad'll get worried if I don't get home soon."  
"Will you at least meet the guys first?" pleaded Mike. A gleam of something flashed in his eyes, but Nikki didn't notice it. "Call your dad and tell him you have to stay at work or something."  
"Alright," said Nikki. She took out her phone, dialed her home number, and waited for her dad to pick up.  
"Hello?"  
"Daddy? It's me; I have to stay a while longer. I'll be home in a little more than half an hour, 'kay? 'Kay. Love you, bye." Nikki hung up her cell and put it in her pocket. "Ok, I'll meet your little friends. Do you promise they won't hurt me?"  
"Promise," said Mike.  
"Are you sure?" Nikki asked. In response, Mike pulled Nikki closer to him, bent down, and kissed her. After a moment, he pulled away.  
"I'm sure," he said.  
"First you slam me into a wall, now you're kissing me," Nikki muttered. "Talk about mood swings."  
Mike laughed and held open the door for Nikki. "Ladies first."  
"How gentlemanly," commented Nikki, going down the stairs. Mike glanced furtively around to make sure no one was watching, then followed her. What he didn't know was that someone WAS watching.  
A Gargoyle by the name of Lexington had been watching them from the wall of the building. He had listened to Mike and Nikki's conversation, and saw Mike cross his fingers behind his back when he promised Nikki he and his gang wouldn't hurt her. When Nikki and Mike entered the building, Lex climbed over the railing and went over to the steel door. It was locked.  
"So much for the element of surprise," he sighed, backing up.  
Down below in the building, the gang members had formed a small circle around Nikki as Mike "introduced" her.   
CRASH.  
"What was that?" said the idiot with pink hair.  
"It sounded like a Gargoyle," said the guy with the green mohawk.  
"Don't be stupid," said Mike. "Nikki's dad's a Quarryman. Gargoyles wouldn't help her."  
"Why would I need help?" asked Nikki. "You promised they wouldn't hurt me."  
Mike shrugged. "I lied."  
"You bi--" Nikki started, but Mike clamped a hand over he mouth.  
"Language, little girl," he taunted. Nikki slammed her elbow into his gut, and Mike let go of her, holding his stomach.  
"This is why I dumped you," Nikki said, crossing her arms.  
"Which is why you're here tonight," Mike said in an unusually high voice. "How do you think that felt, having someone three years younger than me dump me in front of the school? Embarrassing, that's how it felt. You're going to feel the same way tonight, only we're not going to dump you."  
Nikki's heart rate sped up a little. "I'll have you arrested, all of you."  
"Not if you don't live through the night," sneered the punk with blue hair. He and the guy with the mohawk each grabbed one of Nikki's arms and twisted them behind her back. Nikki struggled, but they held on tighter.  
CRASH.  
"I don't like the sound of that," said the guy with pink hair.  
"Stop whimpering," said Mike. He walked over to Nikki, who's heart was beating so fast she thought it would explode.  
"Is is really worth it, Mike?" said Nikki. "Can't you just get over it like a normal person?"  
"You should know more than anyone that I'm not your idea of normal," said Mike, running a hand through Nikki's hair. She scowled and kicked Mike in the shin. He, in turn, punched her in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her. Nikki sank to her knees, breathing in short, quick gasps. Mike put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "I'm not gentle, either."  
CRASH.  
"Hurry up," said the guy with the mohawk. "I don't want a Gargoyle down here."  
"That door is solid steel," Mike said. "Even a Gargoyle would have a hard time getting through it."  
"I don't need help from a filthy Gargoyle," growled Nikki, standing up. She kicked Mike in the stomach, throwing him back into the guy with pink hair. Then she slammed her foot down onto the guy with the mohawk's foot. He yelped with pain and let go of Nikki, who threw the blue haired punk off her. Nikki ran towards the staircase, but the idiot with the pink hair grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. Mike scrambled on top of her, and the idiot with pink hair pinned her wrists above her head.  
"Get off," she gasped, struggling to get out from under them.  
"Let's see what's under that jacket," Mike said. With Nikki still struggling, Mike unzipped the zipper and pulled her jacket up to her wrists. The idiot with pink hair pulled it off and threw it into a corner in less then five seconds. Nikki didn't have enough time to even move her arms.  
"A white button-up shirt and a pink mini-skirt," said Mike. "This makes my job much easier."  
CRASH.  
The steel door tumbled down the staircase, bent and dented.  
"Go take care of our pest problem," breathed Mike. The blue haired gang member and the guy with the mohawk took their baseball bats and ran up the stairs two at a time. Nikki started to struggle harder, kicking her legs even though she knew that wouldn't do any good.  
"Mike, get off me! Please, I'm sorry!" cried Nikki.  
"Sorry doesn't cut it," he replied meanly. Nikki called Mike something that would make the devil cover his ears. Mike just shrugged and started to unbutton Nikki's shirt.  
Suddenly, the punk with blue hair and the guy with the mohawk came tumbling down the stairs, landing in an unconcsious heap at the bottom. Something roared at the top, and Lexington shot down the staircase, eyes glowing. He tackled the idiot with pink hair, and Nikki, regaining the use of her arms, started to slap Mike. He grasped both of her wrists in one hand and continued to unbutton her shirt with the other. When he finished, he threw it off her, grabbed his pocket knife, and flicked it open.  
"Say goodbye to your life," he breathed. He raised it over his head and was about to slam it into Nikki's chest when Lexington charged into him, knocking the knife out of his hand. While he struggled with Mike, Nikki pulled her shirt on, rebuttoned it, and took up Mike's bat. She went over the the fighting Gargoyle-Mike ball and waited for Mike to get on top. When he did, Nikki brought the baseball bat down over his head with all her strength. His body went limp, and Lexington threw him off.   
Nikki dropped the baseball bat and sank to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Her father had told her Gargoyles were evil, filthy monsters, but this one had just saved her life. Did that mean that they didn't do all the evil things her father had said they did? Nikki's world began to spin, and she fell backwards. The Gargoyle caught her and looked at her with-- was it concern?  
"Are you alright?" he asked. Nikki looked up at him.  
"I-- I don't know," she said shakily. "I can't believe you just saved my life."  
"That's what Gargoyles do," he said. He raised Nikki to a sitting position and retrieved her jacket.  
"Thanks," she said, putting it back on. Slowly, she stood up, but her head started to spin again, and she sank back down to her knees.  
"Let me help you," said the Gargoyle. Nikki started to protest, but he lifted her up in his arms and glided back up the staircase. As soon as Nikki felt the fresh air on her face, she felt better. The Gargoyle gently set her down on the concrete.  
"Are you alright now?" he asked. Nikki gingerly stood up and took a deep breath of the night air.  
"Yes," she said, enjoying a soft breeze. She looked down at the Gargoyle, who only came up to her shoulders. "I don't think I caught you're name."  
"I'm Lexington," he said, extending his hand. Nikki hesitated, then shook it.  
"Nicole," said Nikki, "but call me Nikki. All my friends do."  
"I will," said Lexington, "if you call me Lex."  
"Deal," laughed Nikki.  
"Do you need a lift home?" asked Lex.  
"No, but thanks for the offer," said Nikki. "My dad doesn't really like Gargoyles."  
"Oh," said Lex. He looked up at the sky, then back at Nikki. "Maybe I'll see you again tomorrow night."  
"Maybe," said Nikki. "Thanks... for saving my life."  
"Thanks for being a friend," said Lex sincerely. He walked over to the concrete border and took off. Nikki watched him until he was no more than a dot in the sky, then started to climb down the ladder.  
When she arrived home, her dad was sitting in his arm chair reading the evening paper. Nikki closed the door quietly behind her; he didn't like to be distirbed when he was reading. She went to her room and collapsed on her bed, thinking. Her dad couldn't find out about this. He had hated Gargoyles ever since her mother had died fighting one.  
Nikki's mother had been a wonderful person who only joined the Quarrymen to keep her daughter safe. She had been fighting a large Gargoyle a few months ago, and she hadn't been looking where she had been going. She had cornered the Gargoyle, but a loose stone under her foot gave way, and she had fallen to her death while Nikki and her father had watched. Nikki's eyes widened as she remembered something; the Gargoyle she had been about to destroy had gone after her to try to save her. She had been too blind to realize that before now.  
But what would her father say? He was a devout Quarryman, and though he loved Nikki with all his heart and soul, he wouldn't hear a word defending the Gargoyles, even if it was true. Nikki sighed, deciding to not tell him. As for what had happened tonight, well, she had already resigned to not tell him. Although... that didn't mean she wouldn't tell the police. As long as she was a target for Mike and his gang, Nikki wasn't safe. And who knew if Lex would be there to save her again? The sooner they were all put in jail, the better.  
Nikki got up and shed her diner outfit for some pajama's. She withdrew her phone from her skirt pocket, thinking how stupid she was to not have called the police.   
Oh well, she thought, laying it on her nightstand. At least I don't regret it.  
Nikki pulled back the covers of her bed, lay down, and pulled them up to her shoulder. She lay awake for a while just thinking, and soon, she fell asleep. 


	2. Rememberance

Chapter 2  
Nikki woke early the next day, at around 9:30. She threw the bed covers off of her and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, yawning. Stretching to uncramp her muscles, Nikki walked over to her boom box, selected a CD, and put it inside the CD player. While it read the CD, Nikki picked out an outfit for work; her diner uniform was dirty, and she didn't have a spare. The CD player finally finished reading the CD; Nikki pressed the "skip forward" button until the digital number displayed 16, then she pressed "play". She sang along as she dressed, feeling unusally happy after what happened last night.  
"I sit ev'ry night by m' window, just wishing, and searching for one perfect sta-ar." Nikki finished dressing, flicked the "off" switch on the boom box, and walked down to the kitchen for breakfast. She toasted half a bagel, spread a little veggie cream cheese on it, and started eating as she climbed the stairs back up to her bedroom, passing her dad on the way.  
"Morning," he said, smiling warmly at Nikki.   
"Morning, Daddy," she replied, smiling back. She finished her bagel as she re-entered her room, wiped her hands on a spare paper towel, and stuffed her feet into her tennies. As she laced them up, she wondered why she felt so cheery this morning. No, not cheery; light-headed.  
"No," she told herself as she tossed her cell into her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "More like light-as-a-feather."  
She jogged down the stairs, rattling the key-chains on her purse. "Bye, Daddy. I have to go to work!"  
"Bye!" he called back from the kitchen. Nikki rushed out the door, closed it behind her, and instead of heading left like she usually did to go to work, she turned right, heading towards the police station. She jogged instead of walked, feeling as though she should use all the unexplained, pent-up energy inside of her. It took her next to no time at all to reach the police headquarters; they only lived a few blocks away from it.  
Nikki walked inside, the noise and bustle of police life overwhelming her. She looked around for someone to help her, feeling a bit lost.  
"Can I help you?" Nikki looked around. An officer with long black hair wearing a red jacket over blue jeans was standing behind her.  
"Yeah," said Nikki. "I had this run-in with a street gang last night..."  
"What happened?" asked the officer.  
"Well... um... could we go some place a little quieter?" asked Nikki tentatively.  
"Sure." The police officer lead Nikki into a deserted interrogation room and motioned to a seat. Nikki shook her head.  
"I'll stand," she said.  
"Alright," said the officer, leaning on the wall. "I'm Elisa Maza by the way."  
"Nicole Ruben," returned Nikki, shaking Elisa's outsretched hand.  
"So what happened last night?" asked Elisa, the formalities over. Nikki sighed and told her everything that happened last night, with the exeption of Lex rescuing her.  
"How'd you get away?" said Elisa when Nikki had finished.  
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask," sighed Nikki, fidgiting with the hem of her shirt.  
"Did a Gargoyle rescue you?" guessed the detective. Nikki nodded. Elisa wasn't surprised. "Which one?"  
"You know them?" asked Nikki, stunned.  
"Yeah," said Elisa, smiling. "So who saved you? That is, if he told you his name."  
"Lex," said Nikki, remembering his name fondly.  
"Ah."  
"So is there anything you can do about my gang problem?" asked Nikki.  
"Yes." Elisa left the room for a moment, then returned with a black button with indentations on it.  
"A communicator," said Elisa, handing it yo Nikki. "If you see the gang, just press this, talk into it, and I'll be right there."  
"That'll help a lot," replied Nikki, cliping it onto the right strap of her shirt. "Thanks for your time, Officer."  
"Elisa, please," she replied, holding the heavy door open for Nikki. Nikki smiled, walked out of the room, and back into the streets, heading towards the diner.  
  
"You're early," stated Joe when she walked in.  
"You'd rather I'd be late?" asked Nikki, tying her apron behind her.  
"No," he replied. "It's just a first."  
"First time for everything," snapped Nikki good-naturedly.  
"True," agreed Joe. There wasn't much time for chatting later; the morning rush came and went, which left Nikki washing the dishes before the afternoon rush, and then, before she knew it, it was 9:00.  
"Wow," stated Nikki, wiping off a table. "Today went by fast."  
"Yep," said Joe. "And before I forget--" Joe handed her a sealed white envelope "--here's your paycheck."  
"Thanks," said Nikki, taking it and stuffing it in her purse. "I'm gonna go home now."  
"Alright," he replied. "See you Monday."  
Nikki walked out of the diner and into the darkening streets, a soft breeze greeting her as she made her way towards her house. She was unusually quiet, enjoying the silence, which was broken only by the sound of cars whizzing by. Guiltily, she found herself hoping she'd run into Lex again tonight. Sighing, she told herself that, unless she got mugged tonight, there would be a slim chance of running into any Gargoyle, let alone Lex.  
She continued walking towards her house, slowly, just in case. When Nikki was about a block away from her house, a shadow passed over her. Trying not to grin, Nikki looked up. A pair of glowing eyes looked down at her.  
"Lex?" she called softly. The eys dissappeared. Nikki ran into the ally between the building she had seen the eyes on and another, and started to climb up the ladder. When she reached the roof and looked around, no one was there.  
"Lex?" Nikki called again. "Lex, don't play hide-and-seek with me."  
Nikki heard a scraping nose behind her; she turned, expecting to see Lex, but instead saw a larger Gargoyle.  
"Who're you?" asked Nikki, trying to slow down her heart. "Where's Lex?"  
"Are you Nikki?" asked the Gargoyle.  
"Yes," she said slowly. "Who're you?"  
"Brooklyn," said the Gargoyle. "Lex wanted to know--"  
"If I want to see him again?" guessed Nikki. "Of course I do! Where is he?"  
"He's at the castle," said Brooklyn.  
"Castle?" repeated Nikki, confused. "You mean the one on top of the Xanatos building?"  
"Yes," said Brooklyn. Then his face cracked into a half-smile. "He's been talking about you."  
"I get that a lot," Nikki murmered, blushing. "So... I'll probably be a while. The subway's about four blocks away from here, and--"  
"I could always glide you over," said Brooklyn. Nikki stopped talking.  
"That would work, too," she said sheepishly. "That is, if you don't mind."  
In response, Brooklyn sweeped Nikki up in his arms; Nikki grabbed his neck. "This'll take getting used to."  
Brooklyn grinned and took off from the roof. Nikki tightened her grip, but soon, the wind whiping at her hair and face calmed her enough for her to loosen it. Before long, they arrived at the castle, and Brooklyn set Nikki down. She looked over the wall.  
"I never realized how high it is up here," she breathed. "Wonderful view, though."  
Nikki turned and looked around. "So where is he?"  
"He's inside watching TV with Hudson and Bronx," responded Brooklyn, walking towards a door. Nikki followed.  
"Hudson and Bronx?" she repeated.  
"You'll meet them soon," said Brooklyn. He lead her through a network of corridors before stopping in front of a door. "They're in here."  
"Thanks," said Nikki. "Are you going to come in?"  
"No," said Brooklyn. "I have other things to do."  
"Alright," she said. "Bye. Maybe I'll see you later tonight, or tomorrow night."  
"Maybe." Brooklyn turned and walked down the corridor. Nikki sighed and pushed open the door.  
It was a large, well-lit room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were stone, like the rest of the castle, but that was the only thing old-fashioned about it. There was a TV settled in front of a comfortable-looking armchair, in which a large Gargoyle was reclined. A large, blue, dog-like Gargoyle was laying next to him, and looked up as Nikki entered. He started to growl, and Nikki took a step back. The Gargoyle in the armchair looked up, also.  
"Um..." said Nikki. "I'm looking for Lexington."  
"You must be the lass he was talking about all last night." The Gargoyle had a deep voice and a slight Scottish accent. "Nikki, is it?"  
"Yes," she replied. "Is... is Lex here?"  
"He was," said the Gargoyle. "He'll be back in a few minutes, though. Goliath wanted to speak to the lad."  
"Goliath?" echoed Nikki.  
"Aye," replied the Gargoyle. "I'm Hudson, and this is Bronx."  
Bronx stopped growling and went over to Nikki, inspecting her. Nikki gingerly patted him on the head, and Bronx licked her hand.  
"He's so friendly," stated Nikki, scratching him behind the ears absentmindedly.  
"To those he likes," said Hudson, smiling slightly.   
"Then I'm glad he likes me," replied Nikki.  
Bronx whined; Nikki had stopped scratching his ears without realizing it.  
"You're just like a puppy," said Nikki, kneeling to pet him again. "A very big, blue puppy."  
Hudson laughed. "Aye; that he is, lass."  
Nikki waited for a few more moments, pampering a tail-wagging Bronx as Hudson watched TV. "Maybe I should go look for him."  
"He'd be up on the tallest tower," said Hudson. "I'll show you to it."  
Hudson rose up out of his seat and walked through the door; Nikki followed, giving Bronx one last pat on the head. They walked through even more corridors and hallways, and Nikki was starting to wonder if she'd get lost trying to find her way out. Then, Hudson opened a door, revealing a spiral staircase that wound up and out of site.  
"Thank you, Hudson," said Nikki.  
"Aye, lass," he replied. "Now... you wouldn't mind if I went back to the show, would you?"  
"Of course not." Nikki started to climb the staircase and heard Hudson walk back down the corridor.   
The staircase seemed to lead on forever, but, just when Nikki was starting to get dizzy, a wave of cold, fresh air hit her. She climbed a few more steps and saw an opening that the stairs led up to. Nikki hesitated, then climbed through it. Lex and a larger Gargoyle were standing a few feet away from the opening, their backs to it.  
"Um..." she said. "Excuse me--"  
Lex and the other Gargoyle turned around. Nikki's heart stopped when she saw the other Gargoyle's face, and her mind flashed back to the picture of her mother falling from the building; she remembered that face... it was the Gargoyle her mother had been fighting...  
"I- I'm sorry--" she stuttered, backing up. "I-I- Lex, I have to go."  
"Nikki! Wait! What is it?" asked Lex. Nikki shook her head, turned, and ran down the staircase, tears blinding her. She knew he had tried to save her... but she didn't care... he didn't, and she couldn't forgive him for that... she didn't know why, but she just couldn't... or wouldn't...  
Nikki flew down the staircase, ignoring Lex's calls. She had to get out of here... too many memories were flooding back... the image of her mother falling kept flashing through her mind. Tears cascaded freely down Nikki's face, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. As she turned a corner, her foot caught on something, and she tripped. Her body was flung forward, but before she hit the stairs, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Looking up, she saw the face she had fled from; she screamed, terrified, wanting this nightmare to end... and then she fainted.  
  
"Nikki! Nikki, are you awake?"  
She moaned, and opened her eyes slightly. Lex was crouching beside her. As soon as he saw her eyes open, he breathed a sigh of relief.  
"I thought you'd never wake up," he said. Nikki's eyes widened.  
"What time is it?" she asked.  
"It's only ten o'clock," Lex said. "Why?"  
"I should call my dad," she mumered, taking out her cell phone. "Tell him I'll be home in a while..."  
She dialed her home number and waited for her dad to pick up. He didn't, so she had to leave a message on the machine.  
"Daddy, it's Nikki," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I'll be home in an hour or so... just thought I'd let you know. Bye."  
Nikki hung up and dropped the phone in her purse. Then the door opened, and the Gargoyle she had tried to run from walked in, accompanied by a middle-aged man who Nikki knew to be David Xanatos. She groaned and layed back down, covering her head with the blanket.  
"Go away," she muttered. "Please go away..."  
Her body started to shake with quiet sobs. Concerned, Lex put a gentle hand on Nikki's shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?"  
How could she tell him? If she told him, Lex would find out her father was a Quarryman. He couldn't find out... he'd think she was spying for the Quarrymen. And in front of Xanatos and the other Gargoyle? The one who had caused all this in the first place?  
"Nothing," Nikki lied, sniffing.  
"You can tell me," Lex said softly. Nikki started to cry again.  
"No, I can't!" she exclaimed, turning her back to him and curling up into a ball. "I wish I could, but I just can't."  
"Maybe we should leave," said Xanatos's voice softly.  
"Yes." This voice was deep; Nikki supposed it must belong to the Gargoyle. She heard them turn and walk out of the door, leaving Lex and her alone.  
"We're alone," said Lex. "Please tell me. I bet it would feel better if you did."  
Nikki didn't move.   
"Please, Nikki. Why did you react that way when you saw Goliath?" pressed Lex.  
"Do you really want to know?" she mumbled.  
"Yes."  
Slowly, Nikki sat up, wiped the wetness off her face, and looked Lex in the eye.  
"I guess..." she started, but stopped. A fresh wave of tears was threatening to overflow. She rubbed her eyes, wondering how to tell him. He'd be so angry at her if he found out her father was a Quarryman, because then he'd think she was one, too. Maybe... just maybe he wouldn't have to find out. Some confidence returned to her weak body, and Nikki opened her eyes again.  
"I guess that seeing-- Goliath--" Nikki had a strong urge to call him a monster, but resisted it "--seeing him brought back some horrible memories that I thought I'd burried."  
"What memories?" Lex asked.  
"Memories... about my mother," said Nikki softly. She fought back more tears as she went on. "My mother was killed shortly after everyone had found out that Gargoyles existed. I watched it happen, and then I looked up and saw Goliath. I never got over it..."  
She broke down sobbing again, crying into her hands. Lex wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.  
"I don't know how I'm ever goining to come here again," she murmered. "I'd have an emotional breakdown every time I saw Goliath..."  
"You don't have to come here," said Lex. "I'll find you."  
"Alright," said Nikki. She stood up and yawned. "Well, I've got an hour to kill, so what do ya wanna do?" 


	3. A Turn For the Worst

Chapter 3  
A month nearly passed before Nikki was able to talk to Goliath without flinching. Not that she visited the castle much.  
Nikki and Lex soon became great friends, though they hardly saw each other more than once or twice a week. Lex was always staving off robbers from a jewelry store, or something like that, and Nikki preffered not to come along. She would chat with him for a few minutes after her shift at the diner had ended, then head home as Lex glided off to fight the bad guys.  
There was no sign of Mike or his gang, for which Nikki was thankful. That didn't keep her from wearing the communicator Elisa had given her, though. You never knew with Mike. One second he could be nice and polite, and the next, he could be cruel and ruthless. And lately, Nikki had been having this odd feeling that someone was watching her-- in broad daylight. Was she being paranoid?  
No.  
  
Nikki woke early on an August morning, thinking that today would be just the same as any other day. She picked out fringed shorts and a tank-top for work, got dressed, had breakfast, and walked to the diner. Everything went fine until lunch.  
"I'm gonna take a break," she stated to Joe. "I feel like sushi."  
"You'd rather eat dead fish than my delicious grilled cheese?" he joked.  
"I like sushi, FYI," she shot back, pulling a twenty out of her wallet and stuffing it in her pocket. "I'll be back in an hour."  
Nikki walked out of the diner for what felt like the thousandth time and turned right, heading for the nearest sushi bar. She smiled happily as she listened to the buzz of city life; cars beeping at each other in the thick traffic, people shouting and laughing, and the tinkle of china from a nearby shop as a vase fell off it's shelf.  
Sighing, she turned a corner and continued walking. Suddenly, she stopped. There it was again... that feeling that someone was watching her. Nikki turned sharply, but saw no one of interest. Narrowing her eyes, she walked towards the way she had come, looking in an alleyway. Nothing except old trashcans where in it. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a rough hand whirled her around.  
"Dija miss me?" sneered Mike, wrapping an arm around Nikki's shoulders. He began to lead Nikki away from the alley, keeping a tight hold on her.  
"Let me go, you moron," breathed Nikki, her heart racing.  
"And why would I want to do that?" he asked. Nikki slammed her right foot down, hard, on his left. He yelped with pain and let go of her; Nikki raced through the crowd, pulling out the communticator. She pushed it hard as she ran and lifted it to her mouth.  
"Elisa! It's Mike--"  
A bunch of static, then-- "I'll be right there. Don't loose the communicator. It has a tracking device on it."  
Nikki stuffed the communicator into her back pocket and continued racing through the crowd. She dodged into a narrow alley and watched Mike rush by. She waited for her breathing to return back to normal, then stepped out on the streets and collided with someone who had a green mohawk. She swore and scrambled up, but the guy lashed out and caught her wrist. Nikki was about to call out when she felt a prick on her elbow. Her world began to spin, and her eyelashes began to fall.  
"No..." she whispered. The sedative took over depiste Nikki's struggles to stay concious, and she fell backwards into the arms of her captor.  
  
She woke what felt like a few moments later, her wrists bound tightly to the legs of an overturned table. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim light of the building she was in. Dust lay thick upon the wooden floor, cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and the windows were boarded up. Nikki swore again. Where was Elisa? Shouldn't she have been here by now? With a jolt, Nikki remembered the thick traffic she had walked past on her way to the sushi bar. Had Elisa gotten stuck in it?  
Suddenly, a floorboard moaned, and a door opened, creaking on it's rusted hinges. Nikki closed her eyes, looking at the room through her lashes. She could see a dark outline of someone, but she couldn't tell who; her vision was still hazey from the sedative, and the lighting was too dim. The figure knealed down next to Nikki, slid a hand under her head, and lifted it. She kept it relaxed.  
"Wasn't the sedative supposed to wear off after ten minutes?" the figure asked; Nikki recognized the voice to be Mike's.  
"It was." Another figure loomed up behind Mike's; probably that of the guy with blue hair, judging by the voice.  
"She's still out cold," said Mike. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a syringe, fingering it with one hand. "Oh well. At least she won't struggle as much."  
Mike rested Nikki's head back down on the flat of the table and pushed up the hem of Nikki's shirt so that it rested a few inches above her navel. As Mike leaned over her to inject whatever was in the syringe into Nikki, she kicked up with her right leg, her knee hitting Mike hard on his head. He jumped back, startled, as she did a backwards summersault and pulled her hands up. The loops of rope on the legs of the table slid off.  
"Never underestimate the intelligence of the female race, Michael, darling," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder mockingly. Suddenly, she sliced the air behind her with the edge of her right hand, only, she didn't slice just air. Another member of Mike's gang, the one with the green mohawk, had been sneaking up on her, but now lay in a heap behind her.  
"What the--?" gasped Mike.  
"Karate lessons," Nikki said, examining her finger nails. "Paid off. Now, you gonna show me out of here like a good boy, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"  
"Since when am I a 'good' boy?" sneered Mike, putting the syringe away. He raised his fists as if he were boxing, but it wasn't he who hit Nikki. Two members of the gang, the one with pink hair and the one with blue hair, tackled her from behind. They wrestled on the floor for a moment, the gang members finally pinning Nikki's arms by her side. She struggled, trying to kick them, but Mike sat on her legs. He pushed the hem of her shirt up again and fumbled in his jacket for the syringe.  
"What's in that?" Nikki breathed, winded from struggling so hard. Mike grinned deviously.  
"This? Oh, just a few deadly toxins and poisons," he said simply. "Three days of immense pain and suffering, and then, poof! you're dead. Isn't it just wonderful?"  
"Far from it," Nikki said, her heart rate quickening. He shook the syringe in front of her face.  
"It's a little present from us to you," said Mike evilly. "Hope the windows don't shatter."  
Nikki started to struggle again, twisting and turning everywhichway, trying to avoid the syringe. Mike place a hand firmly on her stomach and inserted the needle an inch above Nikki's navle, slowly pushing the liquid out. It took a few moments for it to spread, and then she started screaming; first, it felt like her body was frozen solid, then the next instant, it felt as if she were being burned alive. Beads of sweat broke out on her face the same time she started shivering. Her bones screamed, her muscles ached, and her head pounded.  
"Just think," sneered Mike, throwing the syringe to a corner of the room, "this is only the start of it."  
Suddenly, the door of the room exploded open, revealing Elisa and several other officers, each of them pointing their guns at Mike and the other gang members. Mike held Nikki in front of his chest as a human shield while the other two raised their hands.  
"You're too late," laughed Mike. Nikki felt like she was about to collapse. "She's as good as dead!"  
"Put her down," said Elisa, advancing slowly on Mike as two officers handcuffed the other three.  
"Shoot me, Elisa," croaked Nikki. "You'd be doing me a favor..."  
"I'm not going to shoot you," said Elisa as Nikki fainted. One officer tackled Mike from the side, and Elisa ran forward to catch Nikki's limp body.  
  
Nikki stirred, rustling the sheets of the bed she was resting in. Her father leaped up from the chair he was sitting in and grasped her hand in his two.  
"Wha--" said Nikki groggily, blinking.  
"I'm so glad you're alright," he whispered. "I thought you'd--"  
"Daddy?" Nikki squinted up at him. "What-- where am I?"  
"The hospital," answered her father. "Mike and his gang are in jail."  
Nikki convulsed; the pain was starting to come back.  
"What-- what time is it," she gasped, ignoring the stabbing feeling in her muscles.  
"Nearly midnight," he replied, looking concerened. "And I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I've got to go. I was only allowed to come see you for a few hours."  
"Another--" Nikki stopped, her stomach cramping. "Mission?"  
"Yes," he said, kissing her hand. "I'll come visit tomorrow."  
"How long--" she stopped as her head began to pound again "-- was I sleep--"  
"A day," he answered, stroking her hair.  
"A- a day!" Nikki tried to sit up, but the pain pushed her back down. "I only have-- another two days before--"  
"They're working on an antidote right now," her father said soothingly. "They'll be done by tomorrow."  
He pressed a button near the door which lit up, and a few seconds later, a nurse rushed it with some pain pills.  
"Here," she said, pressing them quickly into Nikki's palm. "Take these; they'll help reduce the pain."  
Shaking, Nikki popped the pills into her mouth, took a drink of water, and swallowed. The nurse took her blood pressure and checked her pulse, then left with her father.  
For a moment, she was left alone with the pain. The pills took a long while to work; nearly half and hour. By then, Nikki was extremely bored looking at the faded paint of the walls. Suddenly, she head a quiet scrathing noise on the roof window; she looked up and saw a dark sillouhette outlined above. She smiled up at it, lifting a hand and waving slightly. The sillouhette waved back, then vanished. It reappeared near the window by her bed; Nikki unlocked it and swung the window back to let Lex in. Without even saying a word, they hugged each other tightly.  
"I hate myself," said Lex after they broke apart. "I should have been there."  
"You couldn't have been there, Lex," replied Nikki. "It was daytime."  
"I wish I could have been left to deal with him," growled Lex, his eyes glowing a bright white. "There wouldn't be anything left of him to go to jail."  
"Lex, he'll get what he deserves," said Nikki.  
"No, he won't," Lex said, eyes flashing. "You barely have a day and a half left! He--"  
"They're working on an antidote right now."  
"What if they don't make it in time?" Lex demanded. "What if--"  
"Stop being so pessimistic," said Nikki. "Besides, you have plenty of other things to worry about."  
"I know," said Lex. His eyes stopped glowing. "It's not as if this whole thing has stopped the Quarrymen from breathing down our necks. They think Gargoyles organized to have this happened to you."  
"You didn't, though!" Nikki exclaimed. "I'll just tell my father to--"  
Her eyes widened as she realized what she almost said.  
"Tell your father what?" asked Lex. Nikki shook her head.  
"Nothing," she lied. Lex stared suspiciouslly at her.  
"Tell your father what?" he repeated firmly. Nikki gazed ruefully back at him.  
"I didn't want to tell you before," she said quietly. "I thought you'd hate me for it..."  
"Hate you? Why would I hate you?" Lex inquired. "I'd never hate you."  
"Well, I thought you would, okay?" Nikki snapped. Sighing, she took Lex's hand in her own two and stared straight into his peircing eyes. "Lex... you know, when we first me, how I said my dad didn't like Gargoyles?"  
"Yes?"  
"That was an understatement." Nikki sighed and searched for a way to tell him. When she found none, she decided to just tell him straight out. "My dad... Lex, my dad's a Quarryman."  
A thick blanket of shocked silence wrapped itself around the room she and Lex were in. Lex pulled his hand away from Nikki's, his eyes glowing with outrage.  
"I trusted you," he growled. "I trusted you! I thought you liked me, but obviously I was wrong. You were spying for him this whole time, weren't you?"  
"No! I would never, EVER do something like that!" Nikki cried with all sincerity. She nearly burst out sobbing.  
"How do I know you're not lying?" Lex asked furiously.  
"You can't," whispered Nikki. "You'll just think everything I do and say is a trick to get you to trust me again! Just go away and leave me. I loved you, Lexington, I loved you with every fiber of my heart, but not any more. Now leave me alone. With luck, they won't be able to produce an antidote in time, and they'll be one less Quarryman in the world. How happy you'll be."  
Nikki turned her back on Lex, the one person she had ever truely loved, and heard him glide out of the window. She turned around, slammed the window shut, pulled the sheets of the hospital bed over her head, and cried herself to sleep.  
The pain woke her. Her whole body was numb, burning and freezing at the same time, needles stabbing every inch... but Nikki could care less. She took the pain killers from the nurse and swallowed, but that was the only other movement she made besides crying for the whole day.  
"She's depressed," the nurse whispered to her father, whom Nikki refused to look at. "We have no idea why."  
For me to know and you never to find out, Nikki thought, remembering the sing-song jeer from elementary school. She almost smiled, but she didn't have the energy.  
She cried herself to sleep again that night, and woke the next morning to pain. Again, the only movements she made were to take and swallow the pain pills, and cry.  
Just this one day left, she reminded herself. It'll be all over tonight...  
But that one hope was dashed when the nurse came in near ten in the morning, carrying a tray and looking cheerful.  
"Great news, sweety," she said, brandishing a syringe. "This is the antidote."  
Oh, joy, thought Nikki miserably. She managed a weak smile and said, "I'm glad they made it in time."  
"So is your father," said the nurse. "Now, hold out your left arm and make a fist."  
Nikki obliged and felt a slight prick on her elbow. The nurse left, and Nikki felt more mirserable than ever. Now she'd have to live with herself for who knows how long.  
That night made her wish even more that she were dead. He father had come to drive her home from the hospital, and he was asking her strange questions in the car.  
"There've been some strange rumors going around, Nicole," said her father sternly. Nikki gazed unfixedly out at the city rushing by.  
"Mhm," she loftily replied.  
"Nicole," her father warned. Nikki sighed, deciding to play along.  
"Alright; what rumors?"  
"Rumors saying that you've been seen several times associating with the monsters." Nikki could hardly care less that she and Lex had been spotted. Maybe the Quarrymen would kill her.  
"Not rumors," Nikki murmured. "And they're not monsters."  
"Nicole, I am very dissapointed in you," said her father. "When we get home, you are going to tell me everything you know about them."  
"Just because I'm suffering doesn't mean they have to," she retorted. "They didn't help Mike, whatever you think."  
"I refuse to believe that," her father replied stubbornly. "You will tell me what you know, Nicole Ruben, or you will face severe consequences."  
"Over my dead, cold body," Nikki shot back. "And I mean it."  
Nikki's father fumed for the rest of the journey home, and Nikki could care less. She dragged herself up to her room and flopped onto her bed. She stayed that way until seven in the morning, when she drudged out of bed for breakfast, then climbed the stairs back up to her room, where she stayed all day, coming out only for lunch and dinner. Maybe she could live the rest of her life out this way...  
Or maybe not. 


	4. Bait

Chapter 4  
A week later, Nikki woke and headed down for breakfast, as she always did, but stopped. Three Quarrymen were conversing quietly with her father, who looked grimly resolved. Quietly, Nikki turned around and climbed back up the stairs, but tripped on one of them and landed with a loud THUMP. The Quarrymen and her father emerged from the kitchen.  
"Nicole," said her father, "come down into the kitchen with us, please."  
It wasn't a request, so Nikki followed them into the kitchen and sat down at the table, fidgeting.  
"Do you confirm the rumors, Nicole?" asked her father.  
"Yes."  
"Do you know where they live?"  
"Yes."  
"Tell us," he demanded.  
"Absolutely not."  
"It wasn't a question, Nicole."  
"I'm not stupid. I know it wasn't a question," she shot back. "I'm not going to tell you."  
"Tell us or face the consiquences," growled one of the strangers.  
"I didn't know I had options," Nikki said flatly. "Go ahead; do your worst. I'm not telling."  
"Our worst can be very painful," threatened another man. Nikki shrugged.  
"I don't believe I care. Sorry," she added sarcastically.  
"Well, Nicole," breathed her father, "if you won't lead us to them, we can still use you to lure them to us."  
"Is that what I'm reduced to now?" Nikki injected every syllable with venom. "Bait? Bait, for beings you're afraid because you don't know them--"  
"Silence." Her father never yelled, but the tone of his voice was enough to quiet her. "I will not be spoken to like this. If you'll be difficult, I'll be difficult. I didn't want it to come down to this, Nicole, but it has."  
"They won't come," Nicole said, nearly laughing at the bitter irony in her voice. "You're a fool to think they'll come. I told them you were a Quarryman. They'll know it's a trap."  
"They'll come." The stranger sounded almost sure of himself. "When they hear you screaming, they'll come."  
With those words, as if they were a cue, the two other Quarrymen stationed themselves on either side of the chiar Nikki was in. She stood up haughtily, and they immediately bound her wrists behind her back.  
"Some father," Nikki said icily as they led her outside. "I wonder what Mom would say if she were here..."  
Her father slammed the door on them as they forced Nikki into the backseat of a car and sped away.  
I wish I still had the communicator with me, she thought miserably as they raced along backways and alleys. Elisa could arrest them for kidnap, or I could tell her to tell Lex not to come if he hears me screaming. Oh, Lex, I'm so sorry...  
Finally, the car stopped, and the Quarrymen jostled Nikki out of her wistful thoughts by dragging her roughly from the car.  
"You think you'd be a little gentler," Nikki murmured. The Quarrymen shook her meanly.  
"We aren't gentle with monster-protectors," sneered one of them. Nikki stuck up her chin stubbornly as they walked her towards a door with a catflap on it. They opened it an pushed her inside, not even bothering to untie her hands. She stumbled and tripped, landing flat on her face on a worn matress. Nikki looked up in time to see the door close and hear a key turn in the lock. A short while later, a bowl of something was pushed through the catflap, along with a plastic spoon. Nikki struggled to get up, but the rope had caught on one of the prodtruding springs. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in frustration and manuevered her hands so that the rope came free.  
"Now what was that trick--?" she said quietly to herself. "Oh, yeah."  
Nikki bit her tongue and slowly began to rotate her hands to loosen the rope up, then slowly began to twist her hands up, making sure not to ball them into fists. Eventually, the rope loosened enough for her to fit one hand through. She pulled it out, then began to twist the rope off her other wrist. When it was finally off, she through it in a corner and went over to examine the contents of the bowl. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
"Gruel," she said to no one. "How appetizing."  
She ate it anyway; it wasn't that bad because it had practically no taste. Nikki sat the empty bowl next to the catflap, crawled back over to the matress, and flopped back onto it. She felt as though it were the first night she had come back from the hospital; the only time she got up was to eat the tasteless gruel pushed through the catflap.  
Finally, when the sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending pink light through the bars of the window on the door, the sound of a key turning in the lock jolted Nikki out of a daydream. The door was pushed open by a Quarryman, who grabbed Nikki's upper arm and hauled her away from the room she had been locked in. He led her to an abandoned portion of the docks, where several Quarrymen were waiting, their hammers and guns in hand. She closed her eyes as the Quarryman holding her pushed her over to what looked like an enlarged hubcap. He forced her around and slammed her against it, then raised her left arm to one of the "spokes". Then he brought out something that looked like a gun and placed the opening over her wrist; he pressed the trigger, and she felt her wrist being pressed against the spoke by a large, rounded slab of metal. He did the same thing with her other wrist and ankles.  
"They aren't going to come," whispered Nikki. "They won't."  
"They will," said the Quarryman coldly. He produced an electric shocker from her pocket and pushed it into Nikki's stomach, just under her rib cage, so hard that she could barely draw breath. Tears were already gathering at the corner of her eyes, not for her, but for Lex, for what they'd do to him if they caught him...  
She didn't have time to think anymore, because the Quarryman had just pushed the switch on the shocker up. A terrible jolt ran through Nikki's entire body, making every nerve ending scream in protest. Nikki screamed, too, and the sound echoed through the dark sky; the sun had just set. He kept the shocker on, and Nikki kept screming, until she couldn't draw breath anymore, and the only signs of her pain was the steady waterfall of tears cascading down her cheeks and her eyes, which where squeezing themselves shut as tight as they could.  
Finally, the pain stopped. Nikki gasped for breath as the Quarryman took the shocker away from her quivering body. He scanned the sky, looking around for five minutes. When the Gargoyle didn't appear, Nikki laughed meekly.  
"I told you," she boasted. "They won't come to help me."  
"Then we'll just have to try again," said the Quarryman, pushing the shocker under her rib cage again. She braced herself, but before he could push the switch up again, a huge something swooped down and tackled him, knocking the shocker out of his hand and under one of the cars. Immediately, the Quarrymen ganged up on him, but more Gargoyles shot down from the sky. The one who had tackled the Quarrymen jumped up and started breaking off the slabs of metal like they were tortilla chips. She fell limply into his arms.  
"Thanks, Hudson," Nikki said, hugging him briefly.  
"Anytime, lass," he replied, swinging around to battle with a stubborn Quarryman. Nikki ran through the mayhem, dodging huge Quarrymen that grabbed at her, and threw herself onto the ground to retrieve the shocker. She had barely clasped it in her hand when someone grabbed her waist and threw her over his shoulder. Nikki thrust the shocker into his shoulder blade and pushed the switch up; he dropped her, howling in pain. She kicked him once and then fled, shocking any Quarrymen that came near her. She wove in and out of the mess, looking for that once comforting face, the one she had loved so much... and maybe still did.  
She finally found it, fighting three Quarrymen at the same time. His tail lashed out and tripped one, his fists connected with another's jaw, and his foot slammed into the other's stomach. Despite all his efforts, though, they had one advantage; an electric net. They threw it over him, while he struggled madly to tear it off, it merely electricuted him until he fell still. The Quarrymen started to drag him over to one of the large vans. Frantic, Nikki jostled her way over to them and jammed the shocker into the small of one of the Quarrymen's backs. She pushed it on, and kept it on until the other two surrounded her. She lashed out with her foot and threw a surprised Quarryman into a nearby wall, where he slid to the base and lay still.  
Nikki shouldn't have turned her back on the remaining Quarryman; he grabbed her waist and pinned her arms to her side, making the shocker useless. As she struggled, her eyes fell on Lex's still body, tangled in the net. Eyes blazing, she threw back her head and let out a scream of fury, startling the Quarryman enough for him to losen his grip. That was all Nikki needed. She flung him over her shoulder; he landed with a thud next the the net. Panting, Nikki collapsed on her knees next to the net and pulled the net off of Lex's limp form. She cradled him in her arms, oblivious to the battles behind her.  
"Lex," she whispered, shaking him slightly. "Lex!"  
When he didn't wake, Nikki began to get worried. She could barely make out the gentle rise and fall of his chest, but it was slowing. She started to shake harder. "Lex, wake up! Please wake up!"  
After what seemed like an eternity to Nikki, with the battles still raging on behind and around her as she crouched, hidden in the shadows, cradling Lex, his eyes started to open. At this sign that he was okay, she flung her arms around his neck as he sat up and started to sob violently.  
"I'm so sorry," she cried. "I didn't know that they'd do this--"  
Lex turned to face her. "Sure you didn't." He shrugged off Nikki's arm and went to help Brooklyn, leaving Nikki to gaze after him, her face tear-streaked.  
"I didn't," she whispered. She burried her face in her hands, shaking. After all this, and he still hated her? She had just saved his life!  
Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up off the ground, slamming her into the wall. She didn't struggle as they forced a folded piece of cloth over her mouth and nose that smelled horribly. The world started to get fuzzy, her body went numb, and she started to slide down the wall. Then the cloth went away, and the Quarryman picked her up off the ground. He carried her over to the edge of the concrete and lay her on the ground, putting a foot on her chest and drawing a gun.  
Shoot me, she thought. Please, shoot me...  
All the fighting stopped. The Gargoyles glided onto the roofs of nearby buildings and watched helplessly as the Quarryman demanded they surrendered.  
"Surrender," he said, "or I'll kill her."  
"Don't," said Nikki, her speech a little slurred. "Don't surrendor..."  
"Shut up," said the Quarryman. He faced the Gargoyles again. "Well?"  
"Let's not," said a familiar voice; Lex. "They won't kill her."  
Nikki laughed lazily. "Like you'd care..."  
"I said shut up," hissed the Quarryman. He aimed the gun a few centimeters to the side of her head and fired a shot.  
"Scary," she said. The Quarryman grabbed the front of Nikki's shirt, raised her a little up off the ground, pulled back his fist, and hit Nikki in the jaw.  
"I told you to shut up," he hissed, hitting her again. Nikki's head rolled limply around on her shoulders. She glanced at the Gargoyles on the roof, and decided that she couldn't die... not yet, at least. Using her last ounce of strength, the kicked up with her leg, throwing the Quarryman off her and into the ocean ten feet below. She picked up his gun and aimed at the other Quarrymen, making sure the setting was on "stun" and not "eliminate". She fired and dodged, until finally they were all in a heap. As the remaning Quarrymen closed in around her, the Gargoyles swooped down off the roofs and tackled them. From time to time, Nikki fired a shot into the fighting, bringing down a few Quarrymen. Finally, when she was sure the Gargoyles could handle the rest of the Quarrymen, she dropped the gun.  
"Let's see," she said. "No one'll miss me, or even care that I'm gone, so what more reason do I need?"  
Sighing, Nikki closed her eyes and fell backwards, feeling the wind flap her hair agaisnt her cheeks, expecting to feel the sting of hitting the cold water...  
A rush of aire filled her ears, and suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. She was ascending upwards, in the arms of a Gargoyle.  
"I'd care." Nikki opened her eyes and saw Lex looking down at her.  
"Sure," she said, crossing her arms. "Since when do you care about supposed Quarrymen?"  
"Since you're not a Quarryman," said Lex, landing on a roof.  
"So you finally believe me," sighed Nikki, throwing her arms around Lex's neck and hugging him tight. "Took you a while."  
"Well," Lex said, holding her tightly even though he could let her down now, "I was kind of being stupid."  
"No," gasped Nikki sarcastically, raising her eyebrows.  
"Sorry," said Lex sheepishly. "Do you forgive me?"  
"Forgive and forget," sighed Nikki. "So I guess I forgive ya."  
"Thanks," Lex said sincerely. He put her down, and they both looked over the concrete railing of the roof. All the fighting had stopped; the few Quarrymen who managed not to get stunned or knocked out by Gargoyles had retreated.  
"Why'd you still come?" asked Nikki as the Gargoyles glided up onto the roof. "Even though you thought I was a Quarryman... spy..."  
"Because... just, because," was all Lex would say, no matter how much Nikki bugged him about it. Nikki sighed.  
"I wonder what I'm going to do now," mused Nikki softly. "My dad practically disowned me..."  
"You could always come live with us," suggested Broadway.  
"Would Xanatos let me?"  
"Maybe."  
"What about Elisa?" suggested Brooklyn. "You could always border in her apartment."  
"I don't want to intrude on her," Nikki murmured. "I'll just come with you guys until we figure something out..." Nikki yawned. "Let's hurry before I collapse."  
Lex swept Nikki into his arms again and took off, the other Gargoyles not far behind. Nikki closed her eyes, and within a few minutes, was asleep in Lex's arms, the steady carress of the wind a silent lullaby. 


End file.
